Coresystems, a provider of cloud-based field service and workforce management software, has announced its partnership with SightCall, a video communications cloud platform. The partnership will bring the augmented reality (AR) functionalities of SightCall’s Video Assistance to Coresystems’ field service solution, allowing for field technicians to leverage augmented remote guidance from offsite experts.

The continued growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving the need for service technicians with more technological expertise than ever before. Indeed, in a recent study from The Service Council, 68 percent of respondents attributed the increasing complexity of service products as a driving trend toward AR solutions. As a result, there are fewer expert technicians who are able to meet customers’ growing expectations with more complex issues, which then leads to longer travel times for each technician. As the IoT accelerates customers’ awareness to service needs and maintenance, this exacerbates the wait time between issue detection and resolution.

With the Coresystems-SightCall integration, service technicians no longer need to rely solely on phone calls or service ticket details to determine the root cause of an issue. Through this integration, technicians can now use augmented video assistance in a comprehensive field service management platform to better understand the scope of work long before stepping foot onsite, thus improving first time fix rates and decreasing onsite visit duration.

"The real-time connectivity of the IoT in a mobile first world has conditioned customers to expect faster service than ever before, putting pressure on technicians who rely on traditional service methods for issue detection, such as phone calls and/or service tickets,” said Thomas Cottereau, CEO of SightCall. “Our partnership with Coresystems aligns perfectly with our solutions, as the coupling of our AR-powered Video Assistance with Coresystems’ crowdsourcing FSM platform provides enterprises and consumers with a rich service experience the moment they need it.”

Key integration features:

- Pre-service review: SightCall’s video assistance applies from the beginning of the service request process, and the customer can connect with the technician via video through the Coresystems platform to determine the issue to be resolved. The technician can then use the video assistance to determine the scope of work, the tools needed for installation/repair and how much time will be needed for the project.

- On-site support: For more technically complicated issues, on-site technicians can bring in support from off-site experts using SightCall’s Video Assistance in Coresystems’ platform. An SMS link will give the off-site experts direct access to interact with the on-site technician’s camera screen, allowing them to provide on-screen assistance with zoom, remote annotations, HD pictures and live pointer features.

“Two key drivers for an optimal field service experience are first-time fix rate and duration of on-site visits,” said Manuel Grenacher, CEO of Coresystems. “The Coresystems-SightCall integration uses the latest advancements in video and augmented reality functionalities to set the standard for those two criteria. Customers can expect faster issue detection and problem resolution from start to finish, resulting in better customer satisfaction and loyalty overall.”